The first challenge we were given was to create something "out of the box" Obviously, that is going to be different for each of us in the challenge. For me, I am TERRIFIED of panting people & graphics (lettering). So...if I am to remain true to the challenge, I knew I would have to tackle these two things right out of the gate.

I cannot imagine my life without music. As a former professor of Piano Pedagogy, I have a deep appreciation for all sorts of music and creative geniuses'. I have painted for you the following musicians from left to right: Ludwig Van Beethoven, Michael Jackson, & Prince Nelson. Each of these artists have brought light & love to all of those who have enjoyed their music. By sacrificing of their personal time, talents, & creativity, they've left a piece of their lives with all those who listen, & see them perform. It's my hope I can do the same with my nail art. I trust I can leave a person feeling encouraged & their spirits uplifted after my paint brush has danced across their nail. I hope you enjoy my "Music Masters" piece.

Step-by-Step Nail Art Tutorial

1

I started by painting my nail tips with a soft ivory nail polish from Julep. I sponged on some acrylic paint in gold & peach tones, and hand-painted the music staff.

2

Next, I mixed some shades of gold, orange & purple. I painted Beethoven in these shades so he would be more muted. Softer colors will allow the image to regress more toward the background.

3

I then painted in Prince in the top right corner. I used black & white acrylic paint and mixed the shades of gray as I went. Once he had dried, I added the shading around both musicians. I used a wet brush and acrylic paints for a softer look. I also filed out the music staff that I'd previously painted. This was where the face of my third portrait would be and I didn't want that to show through to his skin.

4

This is where things got a little complicated. I painted in Michaels portrait with black acrylic mixed with white for shading purposes. I added the Prince logo in purple acrylic and painted the graphics on the first nail. Once all of those things had dried, I went in and shaded with my wet brush in various acrylic colors. Again, using a lot of water so as to keep my colors transparent.

5

Finally, I added some tiny gold details with a chrome gel polish, added the lettering and scroll work. I adjusted some of the shading slightly before applying a matte, gel topcoat. Besides the base coat of Julep nail polish, and the gold dots, this entire piece was painted with Wildflowers Art Paints.